This Is How the NSA Is Trying to Win Over the Media

The NSA used to be wrapped in a cloak of mystery. Some still even refer to it as "No Such Agency." And, up until recently, very few journalists had any idea what was going on behind the reflective windows of its headquarters in Fort Meade, Md.

But after former contractor Edward Snowden laid bare some of the NSA's most carefully guarded secrets, the agency has been forced to come out of its cave and embrace the limelight. In the past few months it has done so more than ever before, albeit a bit reluctantly.

The agency's spokespeople have released statements, officials have granted interviews and some journalists have been allowed to visit its headquarters and film inside its offices. Heck, the NSA's deputy director even spoke at TED.

But the latest step in the NSA's PR campaign is perhaps its boldest and most bizarre yet: A glossy, full-color "media kit" sent to news organizations.

Mashable's Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff, to his utter surprise, received a copy of it on Friday morning.

"It was so unusual, I thought it was a joke," Ulanoff said.

The NSA didn't respond to questions regarding how many other news outlets received the media kit, but it has sent similar media mailings since 2012.

The media kit came with a short letter from an NSA spokesperson, which explained that the kit is about the NSA's "mission and contributions to national defense." The kit "may inform your national security beat reporter or team" and "enhance awareness of NSA's role in defending the nation," the letter reads.

The kit actually consists of two pamphlets. The large one defines the agency as "a unique national asset," but warns that "most of the details about how NSA/CSS [Central Security Service] contributes to national security can't be publicly discussed without tipping off America's adversaries" — in other words, don't expect anything too juicy from this.

The pamphlet includes a brief history of the NSA, five leaflets with slick titles like "succeeding in today's operations," and "Cybersecurity: a team sport," and even a QR code.

"The agency sifts through data to locate vital information that can identify threats, shorten wars, save lives and prevent conflicts," reads one of the leaflets. Another section praises "capabilities that exceed what others think is possible," adding that "because this mission never sleeps, there is always more to do. But the ultimate goal to keep Americans safe never changes."

In the "Six Myths" leaflet, the NSA says that the agency "is not an indiscriminate vacuum, collecting anything and everything." That seems to contradict what former NSA director Gen. Keith Alexander has been quoted as saying the NSA's mission is: "Collect it all..."

The NSA also underlines the importance of cyber security, writing that "cell phones and other wireless devices offer government leaders mobility and convenience" but "such equipment can be easily compromised if it is not properly protected." And no one knows that better than the NSA, given that the spy agency has mastered a wide array of techniques to break into cellphones and computer systems all around the world.

The smaller pamphlet includes a letter from Alexander, who writes that the NSA's mission is to save lives, defend vital networks and exploit the foreign communications of adversaries.

"Just as we are committed to protecting the Nation, we are equally committed to protecting the privacy rights of the American people," he writes.

In a page titled "Operating as a responsible citizen," with a picture of U.S. Constitution in the background, the NSA writes that it carries out "missions in ways that are consistent with the Nation's values and laws."

NSA Motto

The larger pamphlet has the NSA motto on its back: "Defending our nation, securing the future."

Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker

NSA's Mission

In one of the folds of the larger pamphlet, the NSA describes its mission, but warns that most of it can't be "publicly discussed." Bummer.

Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker

NSA Explains Itself

Five carefully placed leaflets create a sort of listicle with slick titles such as "operating as a responsible citizen," "succeeding in today's operations," "saving lives," "Cybersecurity: a team sport," and "six myths about the NSA."

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is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's record 42 million unique visitors worldwide and 21 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.